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4 Sites Which Make Working Out Easier

How was your day?

Bo and I are running around the house trying finish packing our bags for tomorrow’s trip. Tomorrow we head off to St. Petersburg, Russia!

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In honor of us leaving for another trip, during which we plan to stick to our workout plans, I figured I’d take this opportunity to answer one of the questions I’m asked most frequently:

How do I workout while traveling? I won’t have a gym where I’m staying."

All too frequently, people think that they need a gym to stick with their training plan or workout routine. Many people, especially those people who have newly resolved to work out daily, are easily intimidated by change. They worry that they won’t be able to squeeze in a good workout just because they don’t have a gym. Don’t get me wrong, access to gyms or studios makes things easier. In fact I love using hotel gyms or trying boutique workout classes like Mile High Run Club when visiting new cities. But, in the world of AirBnB, business travel, budget travel, or traveling to foreign cities, this may not be an option, due to either time constraints or accommodations.

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So, the next time you are worried about working out while traveling, check out these sites. These are the sites I frequently look to for inspiration as they include many great body weight workouts which don’t require anything other than a few feet of space!

PBFingers – For the past year, I’ve sworn by Julie’s awesome workouts that she creates almost weekly. She has over 50 different workouts on her site, but her 20- minute hotel room workout is one of my favorites! Check out her circuit workout page for many different workouts which include a mix of body weight and gym workouts, perfect for any fitness level!

DailyBurn – A streaming workout site featuring elite trainers, including Bob Harper, DailyBurn brings the workout to you! Their array of workouts, ranging from yoga to intense, intervals means that you can get a great workout, wherever you are! I love Anja’s workouts as most of them are short and sweet, helping me break a crazy sweat within minutes. Don’t believe me? Sign up for your free 30-day trial today!

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Sarah Fit –  I love Sarah because her blog is a refreshing breath of reality in the realm of fitness bloggers. She admits to drinking or eating too much while on vacation but quickly gets back on track, without blaming herself. Her YouTube channel and blog help thousands of people realize that they can get fit and healthy in a dorm or hotel room. Her no gym workouts are perfect for your next trip, while her videos will make them easy to follow and understand.

Nike Training Club – With this convenient app you can choose your workout type – yoga, pilates, drills, running, or high intensity and then choose your level. While I’ve used it far less than many of my other friends, there’s no doubt the over 100 workouts will make it easy for you to get inspired, wherever you are. 

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Looking for more inspiration? Check out these other posts about staying healthy while traveling.

Your turn: What blog or site do you use for workout inspiration?

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Publix Savannah Women’s Half & 5k Giveaway

Happy Monday you guys!  I have a fun giveaway to my favorite grocery store today, so get excited!

As you may have seen on Instagram, Bo and I spent much of the weekend sleeping, cleaning, reading, working out and spending time with friends. We were focused on making sure that we nurtured our bodies as the next few weeks are going to get VERY busy. This relaxing weekend meant that this morning I popped out of bed! It is so nice to start Monday feeling refreshed and renewed.

Our refreshing weekend couldn’t have come at a better time as I started training for my goal half marathon today, the Publix Savannah Women’s Half & 5k. As you know, I’m flying back to Savannah in late March to enjoy a fun race weekend with the other ambassadors (Caitlin, Victoria, Claudia and Julie) as well as some of my friends and family. My aunt and mom are going to walk the half marathon (their FIRST) while Meghann and I are going to run the half together! It’s not too late to join us for the fun in Savannah! You can still sign up for the 5k or half marathon using my discount code, healthyhappierbear.

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While I planned on using Run Less, Run Faster again I had some concerns. Their training plan is a 16 -week plan, and I found it confusing to figure out how to start with only 11 weeks. Worried that I’d risk injury from increasing my mileage too quickly, I started to look at other options.  After hearing so many wonderful things about training with Jess from Theodora, Sarah, Christine and others, I decided to give it a go, especially since this is a condensed 11 week training period.

I’ll be sharing my training thoughts with you all on a weekly basis, but in celebration of a new training cycle, I have a fun giveaway to share today!

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I know how important nutrition is when training for a race. Therefore, Bo and I have spent the past ten days planning out a healthy plan of attack. During the month of January, we are focused on the 80/20 model. Eighty percent of the week we will be focusing on increasing our intake of fresh, natural foods and protein while reducing the processed foods, sugars and alcohol in our life. The rest of the time we’re able to enjoy all the delicious wine, cheese, bread, chocolate and European cuisine that is easily available to us. Since healthy eating isn’t always inexpensive, Publix wants to make it just a bit easier for one lucky reader.

Giveaway Time: Publix wants to help one lucky reader give their refrigerator or pantry a fresh update by giving away a $50 Publix gift card. (source)

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There are two ways to enter:

1) Leave a comment sharing your favorite healthy snack.

2) Share the giveaway on Twitter.

“Publix wants to help you stock your fridge with healthy snacks. Win a $50 giftcard on @healthyhappier blog! http://buff.ly/1ASclKM”

Giveaway will close Wednesday, January 14th at 11:59pm.

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Spin Geneve – Geneva’s First Spin Studio

This morning it felt more like we were in London or New York than Geneva!

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Bo and I spent the morning doing something we’ve missed since moving abroad – enjoying a workout class followed by brunch. Catching up with friends before and after a sweaty workout class was a regular part of our weekend routine until moving to Geneva full time. While Geneva has many athletic people, very little of the Geneva social scene revolves around group fitness activities.

When I saw on Facebook that Geneva’s first spin studio was opening this week, Bo and I knew we wanted to give it a try. Bo, who is an avid Flywheel fan, has missed spin more than I have since moving abroad. But, as a runner who realizes the importance of cross training, I have missed cycling during these shorter, colder winter months.

Spin Geneve, conveniently located near our transportation hub, Gare Cornavin, enjoyed a soft opening the last few weeks of December before formally opening their doors on Monday.  An experiment of sorts, Spin Geneve is currently in Bike Switzerland, a local bike store which closes each winter during the off-season. This allows the Spin Geneve owners to see if the concept will work here before expanding into a permanent location.

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Based on our first two classes, it is clear that spinning is an unmet demand here, and the studio should do wonderfully! The space features 15 brand new bikes with RPM monitors, a bathroom, changing area and huge fan to keep the room cool. One great aspect of Spin Geneve versus many other spin studios is that their bikes all have interchangeable pedals. This means that regardless your shoe or clip style, they can fix a bike to meet your need!

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The classes are 45 minutes in length and have, thus far, replicated many of the nearby rides and popular cycling routes. The climbs are long and intense, followed by fast sprints to flush out the lactic acid. Doing their best to cater to the local market and demand, they are considering adding a few back to back classes, allowing people who want longer rides to stay for two classes. Their schedule currently includes morning, lunch and evening rides making it a very convenient Geneva workout option.

Cost: 25 CHF though packages can reduce prices to 20 CHF – Address: 22 Rue des Grottes, 1201 Geneva – What to wear: If you have cycling shorts & shoes, make sure to wear them. Otherwise, your favorite workout outfit & shoes will suffice.

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